Public Access ICT in Kazakhstan

Country Overview

The Republic of Kazakhstan was the second largest republic of the former Soviet Union and became an independent nation in 1991. Since that time, the country has undergone a wide range of political, economic, and cultural transformations. Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world (roughly, the size of Western Europe) and is one of the world’s least densely populated nations with a little over 15 million people. The regional climate is continental, with warm summers and colder winters, and the precipitation varies between arid and semi-arid conditions.³

Vast distances between communities present a challenge to development, and because Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, the lack of any direct access to seaports further constrains development. Kazakhstan shares its borders with Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan is divided administratively among sixteen regional divisions composed of fourteen oblasts (regions) and the cities of Almaty and Astana (the capital). The other most prominent cities are Karagandy, Shymkent, Atyrau, and Oskemen.